Slack-adjuster.



No. 890,277. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. J. M. HINES & J. S. BARNER.

'SLAGK ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.'28,'1908.

No. 890,277. PATBNTED JUNE 9, 1908-.

J. M. HINES & J. S. BARNER.

SLACK ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1908.

l 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. tains to make and use the same.

j UnrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. HINES AND JOHN- s. BARNER, ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Simon-ADJ STER."

.JOHN S. BARNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of 5 Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Slack-Adjusters; and-we do ereby' declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it apper- The object of the invention is torovide a simple and effective mechanism 1 or automatically taking up in a brake-applying system the slack due to the wear of the brake shoes, the stretching of the brake-rods, etc. The nature of the means employed to this end will be understood from the fo'llowing description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a four-wheeled truck equipped with thei'rnproved mechanism; Fig. 2, is a'detail plan view of the equalizing or floating lever and release spring and. connections; Fig. 3 is a side elevation on'a larger scale of the dead lever showing the gravity friction-grips and a. portion of the adjusting-rod Fig. 4-is an end elevation of the same parts; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the upper end of the dead lever and the gravity friction-grip attached thereto; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the same le ver showing the second gravity friction-grip.

Referring to Fig. 1, the upper brake-rod A extends from the upper end of the live lever B to the floating or equalizing lever C .(see Fig. 2). From this lever the rod A extends to the brake cylinder lever, and from the end.

of the floating lever C opposite the end towhich the rod A is attached the hand-brake rods E extend. In connection with this mechanism which is of common construction, and for the purpose of returning the live lever to itsfull release position is employed a coiled retracting spring F extending from the floating lever C between the rods A and A to a fixed hookf depending from the vehicle body. The lower ends of the live and dead levers are connected together by the rigid lower brake rod H and the live and dead levers are pivoted in the struts of their res pective'brakebeamsl f The mechanism thus far described is suflicient, in connection with the brake cylinders, to apply'and release the'brakes, butfor the 5 purpose of ta'king'up the slackin the system automatically,gmechanismjsprovided which 85peiiizfic at ion of Letters Batent. Application filed .Tanuary28, 1908. Serial No. 113,014.

up mechanism.

A Patented June e, 1908.

will now be described. An adjusting roda' is connected to the live lever by a suitable pin which passes through the elongatedslot a. The other end of the rod "a passes through a gravity friction-grip comprising lever-arm b which is fulcrumed on the dead lever and is provided with a gripping collar,

b through which the adjusting rod passes and a guiding extension I). On the ad acent extra transom of the truck is a swiveled support 0 to which is pivoted the forked end of the take-up bar d, and this take-up bar passes through. the gravity friction- 'p comprising lever-arm e which is pivote iso the upper end of the dead lever and'has the gripping collar (3 through which the take-up bar. passes and the guiding extension e From the end of the guiding extension e rise the cheek pieces f7 between which the take up bar makes a airly close fit, thus preventing a lateral displacement of the free end of the take-up bar with respect to the axis of the hole through the friction-grip. Such lateral displacement is likely to occur the dead lever is inclined, and if means were not rethat account. .The' upper surface of the guiding extension serves to prevent the turning of the friction grip on its pivot in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, and thereby insures a free movement of the grip along the take up bar to the right, While allowing a gripping action in the other direction of movement. The guiding extension I) of the grip b is similarly provided with check pieces'g and has a similar function. r

The operation of these parts is as follows: On an application of the brakes the ull on the upper brake-rod A moves the bra es toward the wheels through the live and dead levers and the lower brake-rod H. During slack in the system the pin on the live/levermoves freely in the slot 0/ on the end of the adjusting-rod a, and does not affect the take- 1 if there is any slack in the system it will be necessary to further move the live lever in order to. bring the brakeshoesinto engagement with the wheels and this further movement of" the live lever brings the pin into engagement with the end of the slot of and pulls the adjusting-rod, thereby turn ng lever-arm]; on its fulcrum until the guiding extension engages the under side of to slide through the gripping co ing-rod between the live and dead levers and changin its reach. 011 the release of the brakes t e live lever is returned to its normal position and moves freely ,until the pin engages the other end of the slot a whereupon the adjusting-rod is forcedjn the direction of the dead lever, and lever-arm 1), due to the combined effect of this movement and gravity (or gravity and a spring connection, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4) turns on its fulcrum, causing collar 6 to grip the adjusting rod, so that the adjusting-rod cannot slide in that direction through the friction grip, and the return movement of the live lever in excess of he length of the slot e tends to turn the dead lever in a direction to move the grip fulcrumed on the upper end thereof along the take-upbar, by an action corresponding to that just described, thereby taking up the slack in the system. On the return move ment of any subsequent application of thebrakes, movement of the friction grip along the take-u rod,is prevented by the locking action oft e gripping-collar e", so that a new I fulcrum for the system is established. It

will be seen, therefore, that by the arrangement of parts illustrated and described, the friction. grips are normally in such a position as to have a holding grip on the adjusting rod (or take-up bar as the case may be) and if the movement is in one direction the grip is turned on its fulcrum until the guiding extension engages the rod, whereupon the grip is released and rod moves freely through the gripping collar, whereas if the movement is in the other direction the gripping collar is L locked in engagement with the bar.

Ordinarily and particularly :in heavy equipments, the weight of the friction-grips is sufficient to give the necessary ho ding gri ping effect at all times, but sometimes, an particularly on lighter equipments, a rattling of these parts may occur, and for the 'purposeof preventing this the spring connection it (see Figs. 3 and 4) between the friction grips b and c may be-provided, the connection being such that the spring tends to turn the grips on their pivots into locking posii It will be observed that this slack take-up mechanism is an extremely simple one, composed of a few number of parts which may be easily and cheaply constructed, and it has the advantage of taking up at all times precisely and releasing mechanism, including primary and secondary brake applying levers and a connecting brake rod therefor, of means for automatically taking up the slack in said mechanism, comprising an adjusting rod connected to one of the brake applying levers by a lost-motion device having a range equivalent to the normal movement of ,the brake shoes on application and release, mech anism connectin the adjustingerod to the other brake appl ing'lever adapted to permit a relative movement between the 'ad- I justing-rod and said lever on an excessive -application-movement of the brakes and to prevent such relative movement on release,

for adjustably connecting the secondarylever to the take-up bar, comprising a leverarm fulcrumed' on the secondary lever and a grippingl collar carried by said arm through which t e take-up bar passes, and which is normally held in gripping engagement with the bar by the turning of-t he lever-arm on its fulcrum, whereby the adjusting-rod, by virtue of its changed reach actuates the secondary lever to take u the slack in the system; substantially as escribed.

2. The combination with brake applying and releasing mechanism, including primary and secondary brake a plying levers and a connecting brake rod t erefor, of means for automatically taking up the slack in said mechanism, comprising an adjusting rod connected to one of the brake applying levers by a Lost-motion device having a range e uivalent to the normal movement of the rake shoes on application and release, mechanism connecting the adjusting-rod to the other brake applying lever adapted to permit a relative movement between the adjusting-' rod and said lever. on an excessive application-movement of the brakes and to prevent such relative movement onrelease, whereby the reachof the adjusting-rodfis changed in proportion to the slack 'in'the mechanism, a take-up bar, and mechanism for ad'ustably connecting the secondary lever to' t e takeup bar, comprising a lever-arm fulcrumed on the secondary le er, a grip ing collar carried by said arm through whic the take-up bar passes, and which is normally held in gr pping engagement with the bar by the turning of the lever-arm on its fulcrum, and a stop which limits the turning of the lever-arm on its fulcrum 1n one direction only tov perm1t the grippomg collar to move freely on the take-up er in that direction, whereby the adjusting rod, by virtue of its changed reach actuates the secondary lever to take up the slack in the system; substantially as de-.

scribed.

3. The combination with brake applying and releasing mechanism, including primary connecting brake rod t and secondary brake applying levers and aerefor, of means lorautomatically taking up the slackinsaid mechanism, comprising an adj usti'ng-rod con- .nected to one of the brake applying levers by a lost-motion device. having a range equivalent to thenormal movement of the brake shoes on application and release, a lever-arm fulcrumed to the other lever; and a gripping collarcarried by said lever-arm and through which the adjustingrod'passes, whereby a relative movement between the adjusting rod and the friction gri on an excessive application-movement -o the brakes is permitted, and such relative movement 'on release is prevented, to thereby change the reach of the adjusting-rod in proportion to the slack in'the system, a take-up bar, and mec anism for adjustably connecting the secondary lever to the take up bar compris- .ing a lever arm fulcrumed on the said lever,

and a gripping collar carried by said arm,

through which thetake-up bar passes, and

which is normally held ingripping en age- .ment" with the bar 'by the turning o the leverarm on its fulcrum, whereby the adjusting-rod, by virtue'of its changed reach,

' actuates the secondary lever. to take up the ,scribed.

slack in the system; substantially as de- 4. The,eoinbination with brake applying "1 and re easing. mechanism, including primary and secondary brake applying levers and a connecting brake rod t .35

erefor, of means for automatically taking up the slack in said mechanism, compris ng an adjusting-rodconnected to one of the brake applying levers b alost-motion device having a ran e equiva em to the normal movement of t e brake shoes on application and release, a lever arm fulcrumed to the other lever, and a gripping v collar carried by said lever-arm and through which the adjusting-rod passes, whereby a plication-movement of the brakes is permitrelative movement between the adjusting rod and the friction grip on an excessive ap-' ted, and'such relative movement on release is prevented, to thereby change thereach of .j the adjusting rod in proportion to the slack .in the system, a take-up bar, and mechanism, for adjustably connecting the secondary lever to the take-upbar comprising a lever arm fulcrumed on the secondary lever, and a gri ping collar'carried by said arm through which the take-up bar passes, and which is normally held in gripping engagement with the bar by theturning of the lever-arm on its fulcrum, whereby theadjusting-rod, by virtue of its changed reach, actuates the secondary lever to take up the slack'in the system, and a spring connection between said lever-- pieces f; suband releasing mechanism, including primary and secondary brake a plying levers and aconnecting brake rod t erefor, of means for automatically taking up the slack in said mechanism, comprising an adjustin rod connected to one of the brake applying evers by a lost-motion device having a range equivalent to the normal'movement of the brake shoes on application and release, mechanism connecting'the adjusting rod to the-other brake applyinglever adapted to ermit a relative movement between the ad'- usting rod and said lever on an excessive application movement of the brakes, and to prevent such relative movement on release, whereby the reach of the adjusting rod is changed in proportion to" the slack in the mechanism, a take-up bar supported on a universal joint, andmechanism for adjustably connecting the secondary .lever to the take-u bar, comprising a, lever arm fulcrurne on the secondary lever and a gripping collar carried. by said arm through which the takeup bar passes and which is normally held in gripping engagement with the bar by the turning of the lever arm on its fulcrum, whereby the adjusting rod, by virtue of its chan ed reach actuates the secondary lever to ta e up the slack in the system; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signaitures, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. HINES. v JOHN S. BARNER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. DAVIS, LAURA B. PENFIELD. 

